What does "My tank crashed! mean

[gparr]

It's not unusual to see threads with a title: "My tank crashed!" The first post is usually a tale of woe in which the aquarist lost/is losing everything, followed by a series of "I'm sorry to hear that." posts. Rarely do we get details.

What is your definition of a "tank crash?" Have you ever experienced a tank crash? If so, what caused it? Human error? Equipment malfunction? Equipment malfunction because you were sloppy about maintenance? Water chemistry problem? What was the ultimate result? Did you lose everything? Have to start over? Recover with notable but tolerable losses?

If you are a tank crash victim, tells us about your experience so others can learn.

Gary

 

[SDguy]

During a heat wave here in San Diego, the power cut off. I was in Europe at the time. My neglected antisiphon hole on my return line didn't work, and half my tank drained into my sump. Then, when the power came back on, me cheap *** Mag7 didn't start back up, but the 250W MH light sure did. This was all discovered by my neighbor 24 hrs later. Mmmm, mmmm, it must have smelled yummy in there :D

I'd consider that a tank crash due to both human and mechanical error.

I actually had a friend go to my place and simply toss the entire tank (30g hex). I mean, everything....I didn't even want to see it when I got home.

My branching hammer survived :lol:

 

[Dace]

I did. it was a product i bought to rid some cyano that was tampered with. I my my 180 SPS dominate Tank was completely white like milk and so was the water. I learned that i would never use any product to get rid of bad algae. Instead i will find the problem causing the algae bloom and corrected. i don't care if it takes months. Never will i put a band aide to a problem that needs fixing

It's not unusual to see threads with a title: "My tank crashed!" The first post is usually a tale of woe in which the aquarist lost/is losing everything, followed by a series of "I'm sorry to hear that." posts. Rarely do we get details.

What is your definition of a "tank crash?" Have you ever experienced a tank crash? If so, what caused it? Human error? Equipment malfunction? Equipment malfunction because you were sloppy about maintenance? Water chemistry problem? What was the ultimate result? Did you lose everything? Have to start over? Recover with notable but tolerable losses?

If you are a tank crash victim, tells us about your experience so others can learn.

Gary

 

[reefsurf]

ppl race reef tanks....this week they're racing in Tennessee and if the tank isn't tuned up well in relation to the track then yes...they can crash.........my smartazz response :) but yeah what peter said

 

[Ladipyg]

My "bulletproof" tank crashed while I was on vacation and the tank sitter wasn't aware that good ol' ComEd was working in the area and shut off the power. When it come back on, the surge protector for the sump did it's job and tripped. The heater and main pump were "off line" it was winter, the tank was in the basment. The surge protector for the wavemaker and powerheads did it's job so the tank was lying at dead calm. They must have put the power back during an off cycle for the lights cause they kept running. I lost everything and I mean EVERYTHING in the tank. SPS, LPS, softies, zoas, clams, fish, snails, nothing survived. I cried for days after that one. I took box after box after box of skeletons out of the tank....to me, that is the true meaning of "tank crash". I think of it as a cascade of events that leads to the demise of the inhabitants of a tank.

 

[mltascp]

I did. it was a product i bought to rid some cyano that was tampered with. I my my 180 SPS dominate Tank was completely white like milk and so was the water. I learned that i would never use any product to get rid of bad algae. Instead i will find the problem causing the algae bloom and corrected. i don't care if it takes months. Never will i put a band aide to a problem that needs fixing

This happen to us also. We lost a mated pair of tomato clowns. We had to move everything out of the tank. After numerous water changes and recycling the tank it is now back up and running. I agree we will never use this type of product in our tanks.

 

[FaviaFreak]

While away on vacation my electricity went out and my mag7 never turned back on, not only that but a good portion of water backed into the sump dropping the level in my tank a good 6 inched exposing most of my SPS. My brother was suppose to be tank sitting and didn't realize until it was way too late.

 

[gparr]

These Mag pumps that don't turn on after a power outage; is it because the impeller shafts are encrusted with calcium or the pump motors failed?
Gary

 

[FaviaFreak]

These Mag pumps that don't turn on after a power outage; is it because the impeller shafts are encrusted with calcium or the pump motors failed?
Gary

Mine was shot, never worked again so I chalked it up to motor failure at the time

 

[reefboy]

I personally have not had one but a client did and it could have been avoided if his son of the age of 27 would have just turned around in his chair literally just feet away on his computer playing world of warcraft to notice the GFCI had kicked and the power was off well long story short and around 12 hours later when the owner got home from a long haul trip as he and his wife drive long haul it was dead, everything.And the way they knew there son was there they asked if he played his game and at what time as the clock above tank had stoped as well and he said he had played from 9am untill around six and clocked stoped at 3 pm lol he sat there for 3 hours that it was off:sad:

 

[pakora]

That game has ruined tons of lives. I nearly ruined my own life off of it. A friend chose that game over his lady and lost her. Another friend is in the process of fighting with his lady because she wants to spend time with him and he wants to play WoW. And yet another friend recently sent his lady home because she decided to come over to hang and he was playing WoW, she got frustrated and he says "i told you i was playing WoW, if you dont like it you can go back home" and she went back home. I dont know how or why but that game is crack. I deleted my character and threw away all my items. My friends tell me "its easy if you just regulate it"... yeah... like they do? right, i enjoy life without that ******* game :cry:

I personally have not had one but a client did and it could have been avoided if his son of the age of 27 would have just turned around in his chair literally just feet away on his computer playing world of warcraft to notice the GFCI had kicked and the power was off well long story short and around 12 hours later when the owner got home from a long haul trip as he and his wife drive long haul it was dead, everything.And the way they knew there son was there they asked if he played his game and at what time as the clock above tank had stoped as well and he said he had played from 9am untill around six and clocked stoped at 3 pm lol he sat there for 3 hours that it was off:sad:

 

[ahayes13]

ours was while we were on vacation. we had a house sitter but didnt help. some neighborhood kids turned off our main power switch so ende up with no electricity to the tank. this was after our tank sitter had already been here for that day. she was supposed to come back two days later and when she did there was no power the house was like a million degrees. our 90 gallon tank was brown and the water was full of bloated up fish, and it smelled just horrible. it was terrible. we finally got home and came home to a disguisting tank and a smelly house, it was sad :(

 

[wishntoboutside]

what does tank crash mean..lol are you serious? hmm coming to ones office and you can smell the dead fish outside. or have a five gallon bucket of dead aussie corals. when the tank is nuked and beyond. for those that have crashed there tanks i truley feel for anyone because it mostly happens while on vacation.

 

[Hypertek99]

for those that have crashed there tanks i truley feel for anyone because it mostly happens while on vacation.

Note to self:
Call friend every night to check on tank while on vacation. Haha

 

[Wy Renegade]

I had what I consider a crash this summer. Built a DIY sump using acrylic baffles, and the baffles failed over the summer. Resulting nutrient "flush" exploded my small pop. of aiptasia which I had been treating, and cyano was everywhere. Lost most of my ricordia collection, most of my expensive zoas, and all my fish except a purple firefish. Very sad, and I learned my lesson ~ glass on glass!

 

[mhowe9]

I just experienced this yesterday. I am not sure if it is the regulator or human error but my CO2 tank emptied into my tank. This led to a sudden drop in PH which ended up killing all of my fish and left me with extremely high alk and mag. I ended up moving all of my corals to a 55 gal (tank is 180). I think that there will be some losses but hopefully I can save some of my corals